The iPad 5 and iPad Mini 2 release dates is pointing for an October launch based on a recent set of rumors. According to Tech Radar, the upcoming iPad 5 will go on a diet in terms of size, similar to how thin the iPad Mini was when it was unveiled last year.

An unnamed source who spoke to the Wall Street Journal on the issue said that the iPad 5 screen will be using the same film-based touch panel that makes the iPad Mini thin and light. The weight-glass based material currently use by current iPad models will be replaced.

Tech Radar also noted that the protective glass used in the new iPad will be similar to the iPad Mini’s thinner bezel. Factory photos of it’s alleged casing was leaked earlier and shows slimmer body for the new iPad, dubbed as iPad 5.

iPad Mini 2 designed as game console alternatives

According to one report, the upcoming Retina version of the iPads, particularly the iPad Mini 2 combined with its iOS 7 update will serve as Apple’s attempt to make the tablets gaming console alternatives.

Erika Pineda of the International Business Times reported that the iPad 5 and iPad Mini 2 with Retina display have bolstered the rumors that the new tablets with an iOS 7 update is being geared to go against Xbox and PlayStation.

The Business Times writer said that at best, the new iPads will satisfy the urge for users to engage in mobile gaming without totally replacing or killing the traditional gaming industry. But if Apple will enter the gaming market with the new iPads, it will inevitably alter the gaming landscape.

Apple’s entry to the gaming market could be a breath of fresh air for an industry that analysts noted as teetering on a brink of collapse.

In an interview last year with Matt Liebl of Gamezone, video game analyst Michael Pachter said, “more iPads is a good thing for gaming.”

“I think that if anything, iPads train more people to like games, and proliferation is good for the console market,” he added.

iOS 7 Beta Offering Features Good for High-End Gaming

The first iOS 7 beta offering showed that Apple is preparing its iOS devices to accommodate higher forms of gaming, according to the Business Times. The recent set of iOS 7 beta downloads for developers have received record adoption rates.

The experience provided by the newest mobile operating system for Apple in terms of gaming is much better than what the iOS 6 can offer, a hint in Apple’s quest to play hard in the $78 billion video games industry.

Apple has released guidelines for app developers and iOS accessory makers, from which they need to base the design and specs of their products. The Cupertino tech giant has advised that game titles and gaming peripherals for future iPad and iPhone editions adhere to the template.

According to the guidelines, navigating through the applications and controlling their functions should be based first on touchscreen then on approved companion products, reported the Business Times.

Gotta Be Mobile noted in a report that in one prototype accessory, a developer came up with a controller that is quite similar to the button configuration on Sony’s PlayStation. Pineda said that this could suggest that Apple is moving aggressively to create more market opportunities for its iPad offerings.